Commonwealth threatens to suspend Pakistan

Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku today warned that Pakistan could be suspended from the fifty-strong grouping of mainly former British colonies if reports of a military coup were correct.

"I am deeply concerned at the reports emanating from Islamabad that constitutional rule in Pakistan may be under threat," Anyaoku said in a statement.

"An unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected government would be in contravention of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values, and would therefore be totally unacceptable to the Commonwealth.

"Such a development would inevitably invite Pakistan's suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth. I strongly urge those concerned to desist from any action against constitutional rule and democracy in Pakistan."

Commonwealth leaders imposed a suspension on Nigeria which lasted three-and-a-half years and ended only in May this year when the military government finally agreed to hand over power to a democratically elected administration.

Pakistani state radio and television said today that the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief had been dismissed. They did not make it clear on whose authority it was dismissed, but Pakistani satellite television monitored in London said the ouster was announced in a news flash from General Pervez Musharraf, sacked hours earlier as army chief by Sharief.